The Sunglasses Live to See Another Day
by DouglasDaleray
Summary: In the middle of a shootout at Port Miami, Frank and Horatio try to standoff against a Cuban drug lord. What happens is something none of them would ever think could happen.


"Officer down! Need backup and an ambulance immediately on the north end of Port Miami! Now!" Frank yelled into the radio as he used his patrol car as a shield.

He did not know how many were out there, but he knew bullets were spraying everywhere. Frank could not move. He wanted to, but if he did, he risked getting shot easily. He could not take that chance.

All he could hear was his officers screaming and pulling their triggers. The bad thing- they were not gaining any ground and he knew there were others wounded.

Frank tried to listen closely for the sirens, but he could hear nothing over the sounds of the guns and windows shattering.

Frank did not know Calleigh was en route to the location. In fact, Ryan was on his way there also. Frank did not stop to think when he yelled back into the radio, "Where the hell is my backup! And where the hell is that damn ambulance! Horatio's dying on the pavement!"

Calleigh tightened her grip on the steering wheel of her Hummer as she heard the words come through her scanner. She wanted to stop, but she knew Horatio would not want that, so she kept on speeding down the road and let the tears flow down her cheeks.

Ryan angrily screamed at the top of his lungs as he pressed the gas pedal hard sending his Hummer down the road to where Frank was under siege by drug lords. He had all intentions to kill when he got there. Horatio's shooter would be first on his list.

The shooting stopped just as the ambulance pulled up. Frank stood as Calleigh and Ryan both drove up at the same time.

The medics ran to Horatio's lifeless body. Frank watched as Calleigh ran and stood beside him. Ryan ran to the medics and started to lean down to Horatio, but he was pushed away by one of them.

Ryan just looked at Frank and Calleigh standing there as the medics loaded Horatio onto the gurney and rolled him to the ambulance and put him inside.

All three of them watched the ambulance drive away with Horatio locked inside. None of them were aware of the two speeding boats fleeing the port.

* * *

Alexx met the ambulance at the emergency room doors. As the medics wheeled Horatio out, Alexx looked down at her former boss and shook her head and said, "Oh Horatio, it finally happened. I told you it would one day, but you're not gonna die on me, you hear me!" The tone was the same one Alexx always used when she used to talk to her dead patients.

As Horatio was wheeled inside, Calleigh and Ryan raced up in their Hummers and Alexx looked up to see them running to the door.

"Alexx, is he..." Calleigh yelled.

"Calleigh, it's bad. Real bad," Alexx said as Ryan ran up to Calleigh.

"You can save him, right Alexx?" Ryan asked as he ran his hand through his hair.

Alexx just looked at Ryan and followed the gurney inside. Ryan saw her expression and knew what it meant. There was reason to worry.

Ryan and Calleigh walked into the hospital and into the waiting room. They were not leaving until Alexx gave them an update. And that could be a very long time.

* * *

Horatio opened his eyes and saw pure white. It floated all around him like a cloud. He was standing in the middle of the bright room and a thin fog of white mist drifted around his feet. He looked around as he twirled his sunglasses in his fingertips. Then he heard tender footsteps approaching, but could not see who it was coming toward him. He just stood and waited.

"Hello Horatio," the voice said as he recognized it then the body came into view.

"Marisol," Horatio said, "so this is what Heaven looks like."

"Part of it anyway," Marisol said as she stepped all the way to him and reached out.

Horatio took her hand. "Am I dead, Marisol?"

"You're in between, Horatio."

"In between?"

"Yes Horatio, in between. You were shot three times. Alexx is trying to save you."

"Then I am in good hands," Horatio said and smirked that smirk only he could manage.

"I miss that smirk Horatio. I miss you," Marisol said and smiled.

"I miss you more than you ever know."

"You're wrong Horatio. I know. You visit and talk to me. I like that. So it's true, there really is no more Mala Noche?"

"None Marisol. None at all."

"Thank you Horatio."

"Don't thank me. Thank Eric. If it had not been for him, we may not have ended them."

Horatio then felt a shock and was quickly being pulled away from Marisol. He looked at her and opened his mouth to say goodbye yet again, but did not manage to get it out before he was gone.

* * *

"Don't you die on me Horatio! You've fought this hard to get here. You can fight some more!" Alexx spoke just like she did when she spoke to the lifeless ones on her table of the past.

Then came the rhythm of his heartbeat.

"Stay with me Horatio! I don't want to have to shock you again. I gotta stop the bleeding. Will you let me do that?" Alexx spoke as her hands fiddled with the artery next to his heart that was severed by one of the three bullets. The others were in his shoulder and lung.

Alexx had Horatio on a respirator because of his collapsed lung, but also because he was not able to breathe on his own. If she did not get that bullet out and reconnect the artery, Horatio would never breath again. Alexx was working as fast as she could.

While she did, Frank, Walter, and Eric entered the waiting room where Calleigh and Ryan were seated next to each other.

"How's Horatio?" Frank asked.

"We don't know. Alexx is still working on him," Calleigh answered as she walked up to her husband. Eric wrapped her in his arms as she began to cry.

"At least we know he is in the best hands there could be," Frank said as he stood.

"Alexx, she's the one that filled in for Tom and used to work at the morgue, correct ?" Walter asked.

"Yeah, H. could not be in better hands. She'll treat him like a baby," Ryan answered him as Frank walked away from them.

Calleigh saw the look on his face as he did. She broke loose from Eric and walked over to him. She took his hand and said, "Frank, Alexx won't let Horatio die."

"Calleigh, I'll never be able to live with myself if he does."

"Don't think like that Frank. Horatio needs us. We have to have faith."

Frank turned and smiled at Calleigh and she hugged him.

Then his cell rang. It was Natalia.

Frank answered and immediately said, "He's still in surgery. We don't know anything yet." Then Frank got quiet before continuing, "Natalia, this better not be a joke."

When Frank hung up, he looked at Walter and Eric. They both knew something had transpired.

"Frank, what is it?" Eric asked.

"Someone saw two boats speeding away from the port after the shooting had stopped. The Coast Guard is gearing up to chase them."

"Frank, we need to be on that boat," Eric said.

"Yeah Frank, let's go," Walter said.

"Well, I'm going with you," Ryan said.

"No Ryan. You and Cal stay here with H. He needs your support now more than ever. We'll handle it," Eric said.

"Frank, do me a favor and get the bastard," Ryan said.

"Wolfe, he won't stand a chance when my gun is pointed at his face," Frank said and turned to Walter and Eric. "Let's go!"

* * *

"Horatio, you came back," Marisol said.

"I did. I had to see you again."

"Horatio, you don't know what you want," Marisol said and began to walk away from him.

"Marisol, where are you going?" Horatio replied and started to chase after her.

"Away from you."

"Marisol, I don't understand. I love you. I want to be with you. This is where I belong."

Marisol turned around and began to walk back to her widower. She could not help but smile at him. Marisol loved him with all her heart, but she could not love him until he was ready to join her.

"Horatio, you don't belong here yet. This is not the place or the right time. Your team needs you. You need them. My brother needs you. Since I left, you have been his rock and Eric's been yours. You can't leave him now."

"But Marisol, you're my rock. You always have been," Horatio said as he reached out to his late angel wife.

"And I always will be. Go back to your life Horatio," Marisol said as she swiped a hand over his cheek. "I'll be here waiting. I promise."

"I'll still come visit you Marisol," Horatio said as he held on to her hand.

"I'll love that Horatio. I always have. Now go. We'll meet again one day."

Horatio watched as Marisol walked away into the white, almost silvery haze, and disappeared.

Once again, his body was shocked back to reality.

* * *

"Horatio, that's the last time you are gonna leave me like that! You hear me Horatio! Don't make me use those paddles again!" Alexx announced as Horatio's heart started beating again.

She tied the last knot on the suture and had Horatio's blood flowing normally. His blood pressure immediately started rising and he began to stabilize. That big smile of hers went across her face.

"Okay, Horatio, that was the hard one. Let me get the other two and you will be home free. But you will have to listen to me when you are awake. No work for six weeks! But, with you and your hard head, you'll want to be out of the bed the day after. I'll have to chain you down." Alexx said to him as she started to find the bullet in his chest.

Alexx worked diligently until she had all three bullets removed and made sure he was still stable before he was moved to recovery. She patted his head as he was rolled to the recovery room. Alexx took a deep breath and pulled her mask down, pulled her gloves off and threw them in the trash can, and wiped her forehead. It was now time to give Calleigh and Ryan the news.

Calleigh and Ryan was sitting together on the couch holding hands in a friendly manner when Alexx walked into the waiting room. Neither one saw or heard her come through the door. She smirked when she saw them holding hands.

"You know, if I didn't know you two better, I'd tell Eric he needs to worry," Alexx said and smiled as they looked up.

"Oh, I know that tone of your voice. Horatio is gonna be okay, isn't he Alexx?" Calleigh said and smiled herself.

"He's gonna make a full recovery, but I did lose him twice. Horatio is ornery. You both know that. But he is also strong. The bad part is over. Now we just wait for him to wake up."

"Can we see him Alexx?" Ryan asked.

"Ryan, he's in recovery. He'll be moved to a room shortly. Just sit tight and I'll let you know when he is moved. I'm not going anywhere until he wakes up."

Alexx turned around to go, but Ryan stopped her and said, "Alexx, thank you for saving him."

Alexx turned back around, looked at Ryan and Calleigh and smiled and said, "Thank Horatio. He's the one that fought to stay alive," and she walked out.

Ryan looked at Calleigh as Alexx left and said, "Well, the sunglasses live to see another day," and Calleigh smiled that drop dead smile.

* * *

Frank, Walter, and Eric felt the mist from the bow of the Coast Guard's cutter splash their faces as it raced to the two boats racing off the coast. It was apparent by the coordinates they were heading that the two boats were heading to Cuba. They needed to intercept them before it was too late to do so.

"There they are. Look!" Walter yelled as he pointed.

Frank looked then ducked as a shot just missed him and shattered the window of the captain's compartment. Luckily, the pilot was not hit.

Frank honed in on the area where he saw the muzzle flash and fired a round. It was dead on and he saw the perpetrator fall. The boat immediately began to slow as well.

"That's one down. The others can come to poppa. He's ready," Frank said as another suspect ran from around the bow and started to open fire.

He was able to get off one round before Walter fired and laid the suspect out on the stern's deck.

"Nice shot, Walter," Eric said as the Coast Guard captain began chasing down the other boat.

"I hope the other is as easy as this one. Maybe they will see us coming and give up," Walter said.

"Not likely. They were out to kill earlier. If they succeeded with Horatio, you can bet I will put a bullet in whoever's ass!" Frank said as Eric's phone chimed a text message.

Eric looked at it and it was from Calleigh. "Well, Frank, you may not need to kill whoever it was that shot Horatio. He's gonna be fine."

"Alright!" Walter said and high-fived Eric.

"That's the best news I've heard all day. Now, let's get these other guys for Horatio!" Frank said as the Coast Guard moved closer to the drug dealer's boat.

The suspect's boat immediately began to slow and finally stopped. Frank, Eric, and Walter drew their glocks and were ready.

"We know you see us. Come out with your hands up!" Frank yelled.

"How do we open the door then?" came a question from one of them with a Cuban accent.

"Open the door with one hand and keep the other one raised. I've got the gun pointed right at your head. If you try anything sneaky, I'll blast a hole right between your eyes!" Frank countered.

Slowly, the door opened and out stepped three guys giving themselves up.

"Move over to the wall and turn around," demanded Frank. "Eric, I got'em," Frank continued.

Eric and Walter moved over to cuff them while Frank covered them both. Eric turned the obvious leader around and the suspect made eye contact with Frank.

"I didn't mean to kill that cop. I was only trying to hold you all off," the suspect said.

"Oh, you did a good job of that alright nimrod. But you didn't kill him. He's still alive."

"Gracias Jesús," he said when he heard those words from Frank.

"Yeah, you better be thanking him. Now come on. He delivered you to us and now I'm gonna deliver you to jail!" Frank said as Eric and Walter brought them aboard the Coast Guard cutter.

It was not a long trip back to the lab. Frank, Walter, and Eric had the perpetrators booked and hauled off to jail. They stood outside the lab and watched as the drug dealers were put on the bus to take them to the state penitentiary.

As the bus drove off, Frank, Walter, and Eric looked at each other and in unison said, "Now, let's go see Horatio."

* * *

Horatio was still under when they arrived. Calleigh was on one side of him while Ryan was on the other. He was breathing on his own though because Alexx had inflated his lung and his vitals were good and there was no need for the respirator.

They stood outside the door looking inside. Calleigh saw them and motioned them all to come in. Frank opened the door and moved to the side so Eric and Walter could enter. Once Eric was inside, the timing was impeccable as Horatio opened his eyes.

The first person Horatio saw was Eric. He smiled and in a groggy quiet voice said, "Marisol says hi."

Eric smiled and felt a warm feeling envelope him. He knew that warm feeling was his sister. She was telling him that she was with Horatio the whole time.

"Well, now we know how you made it back to us," Eric said as he walked over to Horatio.

Horatio smiled as Eric came close. "She told me to go back to my team and family, so here I am."

"I'm glad you listened to your rock H. For all of us. We are your family and we will always be here for you," Eric announced as all of them gathered around his bed. Alexx watched from the window outside his room. She felt like she was one of the team again.

Then Horatio eyed his sunglasses on the table beside his bed. He reached over and grabbed them. Smiling, he said, "So. . . the sunglasses live to see another day."

Calleigh nudged Ryan on the arm as he smiled heavily. Then they all laughed as Horatio slid them on. They all could not wait until he was back home.


End file.
